“Today we celebrate the gift of victory over every fall we have ever experienced.” ~ Jeffrey R. Holland
I’m sure that I have fessed up before: I’m an avid people watcher. There is nothing better than watching people — babies, toddlers, children, teens, young adults, adults, mature adults — master something. I included all age ranges there because I want to remind you that whatever age we are at, we can, indeed, master things if we set our minds to them.
When a person first attempts something, it generally fails. Sometimes it fails slightly. Sometimes it crashes and burns in a miserable failure. But that’s all right. As long as we learn from our failed attempts, they are good for us. Stephen McCranie reminds us that “the master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
Let’s go back to one of the reasons why I like to watch people. There is something special about the smile and glow on a person’s face when the finally “get it.” When they finally master what they had attempted for so many times, there’s a triumphal look that cannot be taken away. They did it. They accomplished what they had set out to do. They are victorious.
Do you remember that look on your face when you finally mastered something? Do you remember the triumphal feeling that coursed through you? Do you remember the excitement? Do you remember how many people with whom you shared your victory?
Try to place yourself in one of those moments and try to feel once again the joy that went through you at those times. Now, hold on to that triumphal feeling as you recall that Jesus won the victory for you in His passion, death, and resurrection. No longer can sin hold you down. No longer can sin separate you from God for all eternity. No longer do you have to live under the shackles of the evil one. Jesus has freed you.
Let that thought flow through your heart and soul. “Today we celebrate the gift of victory over every fall we have ever experienced.”
FAITH ACTION: In prayer today, make sure to thank Jesus for the victory He has won for you by destroying death and restoring life.